From Nine Rank Psychic to a Totem of a Small Tribe

Eloise is surprised when he nears the Gate City.

In a month, the changes in the city were astonishing, the city expanded again. With three more mage towers in construction. He observes many people in teams returning to the city and some of them are even injured.

When they enter the city, they find a tense atmosphere inside the city. 

Eloise says," Reed, Do you feel the atmosphere?"

Reed replies looking around with tension on everyone's faces," Something must have happened."

He observed and tried to listen if anyone was discussing the reason but found nothing. He continues," Let's go and ask Jake." And quicken his pace.

Eloise also quickened his pace and after a few minutes, they stood in front of a store. If the store did not have the same name,' Jake's Inn' as before they would have thought the store had changed.

From a two-story building a month ago, now it changes into a three-story building. And the color of the front of the building also changes making it look more appalling than before.

Uncle Jake turned toward the receptionist, his expression warm yet firm. "Take Reed and the others to their rooms. Make sure they're comfortable."

The receptionist gave a polite nod. "Understood, Master Jake. Please follow me," he said, gesturing for Reed and the six others to come along.

Reed hesitated for a moment, glancing at Eloise, but a quick reassuring nod from him was enough. With that, Reed and the others followed the receptionist down the hallway, leaving Eloise alone with his uncle.

Uncle Jake placed a hand on Eloise's shoulder, a knowing smile on his face. "Come with me, Nephew. There's something I want to show you."

Curious yet cautious, Eloise followed as Uncle Jake led him through a side door and into the backyard.

The moment he stepped outside, Eloise froze.

A sprawling garden stretched before him, filled with vibrant flowers, neatly trimmed hedges, and a paved stone path leading toward the back of the property. But what truly caught his attention was the grand house standing beyond the garden—a stark contrast to the simple inn he had known.

His heart pounded. How? How did his uncle, a man who had always been just an ordinary innkeeper, suddenly amass such wealth?

Uncle Jake walked ahead, seemingly unbothered by Eloise's silence. Finally, he glanced back, his smile tinged with amusement. "Shocked, are you?"

Eloise swallowed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Uncle… what happened? How did you—?"

Uncle Jake chuckled as he walked toward the back door of the house. "Come with me. Once you see it, you'll understand."

He pushed the door open and stepped inside, with Eloise following closely behind.

As they entered the spacious living room, Uncle Jake called out, "Daughter, come see who's here."

Hearing this, Eloise immediately thought of his elder sister, Alice—Uncle Jake's only daughter. Could she have come to this continent as well?

His thoughts were interrupted by movement on the first floor. A beautiful young woman appeared at the top of the staircase, dressed in a flowing white mage's robe.

Eloise's eyes widened in shock. The color of her robe… White robes were only worn by mages ranked between the 6th and 10th tier.

Alice, however, showed little surprise at seeing him. She gazed at him with calm indifference and simply asked, "Eloise, where is your brother?"

Her question jolted Eloise back to reality. That's right… our purpose for coming to this city. For a moment, he had completely forgotten amidst the shock of his uncle's sudden wealth.

But now, everything made sense.

With a mage of the 6th rank in the family, accumulating wealth was effortless. Alice wouldn't even need to seek riches—wealth would naturally flow to her.

Realizing this, Eloise felt a weight lift from his shoulders. If Alice had truly reached the 6th rank, then their predicament might not be as dire as he had feared. With her help, resolving their problems would be far easier than he had imagined.

He did not doubt that Alice would not assist them. She was already engaged to his brother—a bond notarized by the God of Knights and Nobles. 

Moreover, her studies at the Royal Mage Academy had been funded by their family. Had circumstances been different, he too would have attended the academy instead of coming here.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Eloise replied, "Brother is still back at the camp."

Uncle Jake nodded knowingly. "You came to register the success of your settlement, didn't you?"

Eloise shook his head and began explaining their predicament.

Alice listened in silence, her expression unreadable. Once he finished, she spoke with calm certainty, "There's no need to hire mercenaries. Tomorrow, I will leave with you to your camp and handle the problem myself."

Before Eloise could respond, she vanished.

He and Uncle Jake exchanged glances, both momentarily speechless.

Then, from above, Alice's voice called down, "Eloise, come upstairs. I need your help with an experiment."

Eloise hesitated, then looked at Uncle Jake, who simply gestured for him to go.

Climbing the corridor, he found only one door at the end. Knocking, he heard a curt "Come in."

He stepped inside and immediately took in his surroundings. It was a fully equipped mage laboratory. In the center of the room, atop a pedestal, lay a dissected corpse—one belonging to a member of the Silver Sword Clan.

Alice barely looked up as she ordered, "What are you standing around for? Come here."

Eloise swallowed hard but obeyed, stepping closer.

She handed him a notebook. "Write down everything I say."

And just like that, without food or rest, Eloise spent the entire night recording Alice's findings.

Somewhere in the midst of it all, Eloise lost track of their original purpose. But he didn't mind—because in the end, assisting Alice wasn't just helping her; it was helping himself as well.

Suddenly, Alice stopped. Though she had spent the entire night dissecting the corpse, she still looked as composed and fresh as when she had begun.

"Let's stop here," she said.

Eloise nodded, closing the notebook and placing it on the table. When he looked up, he found Alice staring at him.

He frowned. Is there something on me?

Glancing down, he inspected himself carefully—his travel-worn, filthy clothes stuck to his skin, and the pungent smell of sweat finally hit his nose.

Before he could say anything, Alice spoke. "You're already a second-rank mage. Have you chosen your major specialization?"

Eloise shook his head. He had always planned to decide after reaching the 6th rank. Only then would he choose a specialization.

Alice's brows furrowed in disapproval. "It's best to choose your specialization from the 3rd rank onward. And the first 1st-rank spell you learn should align with the subject you want to master."

She continued her tone firm. "Did you take a talent test? If your specialization matches your innate talent, your progress will be much smoother. If you haven't taken one yet, I have a crystal ball—you can test your talent right now."

Eloise struggled to keep up with her rapid explanations. He had already decided that his first 1st-rank spell would be Fireball—a spell known for its unmatched power among beginner spells. But now, hearing Alice's words, doubt crept into his mind.

If his talent truly leaned toward Illusion Magic, then choosing Fireball might not be the best path after all.

Eloise took a deep breath and spoke. "My talent is in the Illusion system of spells."

Alice frowned upon hearing this. "Then I may not be much help to you. My major specialization is Necromancy, and my minor specializations are Conjuration and Protection."

With a wave of her hand, she dismissed him. "Go wash up, get some food, and rest. We'll be leaving soon." She glanced at the time, noticing it was already five in the morning. "Inform your team—we're departing in twelve hours."

Eloise, however, didn't move. He hesitated, his mind still grappling with an important question.

Alice noticed his lingering presence and sighed impatiently. "Why are you still here?"

"Sister-in-law," Eloise said, his voice hesitant, "can I ask you something?"

Alice nodded as she busied herself cleaning the laboratory, carefully putting everything back in place. She wasn't sure how long she would be away, so she made sure everything was in order.

Eloise finally voiced his question. "Why must the first 1st-rank spell match my talent?"

Alice glanced at him before answering, her tone patient but firm. "Each first spell you learn—whether at the 1st rank or to the 9th rank—enhances the talent associated with that spell's system."

Eloise frowned, processing her words. "Then… if I choose a spell from a different system, one that doesn't match my innate talent, will it improve my talent in that system instead?"

Alice nodded. "Yes, but it's not recommended. If your natural talent for that system is zero, then improving it is extremely difficult. It's far easier to increase a talent from level one to two than to go from zero to one."

She paused, allowing Eloise to absorb the information before adding, "And if your talent in a particular system is negative… then it's a complete waste."